South East Asia's fortified food market is at a tipping point where it is ready to progress from fortification with traditional vitamins and minerals, and move towards specialised ingredients such as asataxanthin.
China's 'new retail' phenomenon — whereby companies like Alibaba seek to converge e-commerce insights with bricks-and-mortar retail operations — could provide as many opportunities for supplement brands as it has done for food firms, Blackmores...
Yashili has announced deals in China and New Zealand to strengthen supply and service agreements with two of its biggest shareholders, Mengniu and Danone, while also bolstering its relationship with Australia's Burra Foods.
China's supplement market will continue to experience double-digit annual growth for the next couple of years, but longer-term success hinges on regulatory reform, says the executive director of Health Products Association – China.
Health & Happiness International (H&H, formerly Biostime International) — and owner of Swisse — has announced it is seeking a loan of up to US$350m through Goldman Sachs.
With one billion users and accounting for 35% of Chinese consumers' time spent on mobile devices, supplement brands trying to break into China can ill-afford to ignore WeChat...but how do they start to shape a successful strategy on the platform?
Seniors in APAC have redefined ageing, and industry must adapt to this change or risk alienating its largest and most affluent group of consumers, according to DuPont's ASEAN marketing leader, Michelle Lee.
OmniActive Health Technologies believes its recent Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) registration for its Hosur, Tamil Nadu facility is likely to strengthen its bid for APAC expansion.
DSM has underlined personalised nutrition as a major focus under its new strategy, and stated it would continue to seek acquisitions to strengthen its nutrition offerings.
Swisse is harnessing the power of a little-known plant called Andrographis paniculata to relieve symptoms of the common cold and provide immune support.
Chr. Hansen is optimistic it can tap into the benefits of its patented probiotic strain, LGG, and growing consumer health consciousness to drive sales in India.
Nestlé Japan has announced plans to branch out from the food and beverage business into healthcare, with personalised nutrition and aged care a prominent feature of this shift.
The latest insights into the health concerns driving supplement and functional food purchases across different age groups have been revealed at our first Healthy Ageing APAC Summit.
Australian supplement firm Bod Australia will see George Livery — Swisse's former strategy and corporate director — join its ranks as executive chairman in September this year to drive the firm’s growth strategy in supplements and medical cannabis...
Machine-based learning could be as effective as the human ear when it comes to detecting infant crying or fussing, opening up possibilities for potential clinical applications such as detecting colic.
A new Kiwi personalised nutrition supplement firm has attracted criticism from certain segments of the industry, thanks to its assertion that it is "beset with outlandish claims".
Singapore is set to host our first Healthy Ageing APAC Summit next week, with scores of delegates from big-name industry firms confirmed to attend, and a host of industry experts taking to the stage.
Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) supplementation during pregnancy and infancy enhances cognitive development in children at 12 months of age, according to recent research by NZMP.
Morinaga Milk's financial results for the last year saw a slight dip overall, with net sales falling 0.1% (¥530m) year-on-year to ¥592,087m, but the firm is targeting sales success with its higher-value functional products.
Insatiable demand from China is seeing infant formula fly off the shelves in Australia, resulting in shortages at retail stores and pharmacies, despite manufacturer efforts to increase production.
Australia's supplement suppliers and manufacturers have been told not to fall into the complacency trap after enjoying several years of rapidly growing sales in Asia, especially China.
Israeli personalised nutrition firm Nutrino Inc. has plans to bring its data-driven approach to diabetes to APAC, where the disease is a major health problem in many countries.
Personalised nutrition has the potential to go mainstream in APAC, but the pace of progress will depend on how quickly and effectively MNCs, start-ups and governments can collaborate.
Indian pharmaceutical firm Sundyota Numandis will open a US$12m probiotic facility to meet demand, following link-ups with major industry players to develop and market a patented formulation.
Swisse Wellness is in the beginning stages of a double-blind RCT on its Ultiboost High Strength Deep Sea Krill Oil, with the first four participants having recently enrolled.
Israeli astaxanthin manufacturer Algatechnologies (Algatech) has partnered with Italian R&D firm Sphera Encapsulation to produce new functional ingredient formats.
Manufacturer Matakana Superfoods is looking to establish a retail presence outside of Australia, Chile and its native New Zealand, after enjoying considerable success in the organic food segment through online sales.
DSM will close its vitamin C facility in Jiangshan, China, for four months from July — but the firm has moved to ensure it can continue to meet supply.
Nestlé has invested US$151.3m in two new factories in China as part of its latest efforts to increase its FSMP (foods for special medical purposes) and skincare offerings.
Daigou shoppers are believed to have accounted for $800m of 'unofficial' supplement exports from Australia to China in the past year, dwarfing the $320m figure for official exports.
China's status as a sales powerhouse for major international infant nutrition firms has been underlined, with both Abbott and Danone reporting solid growth in the country.
Wattle Health Australia recently signed a distribution agreement with International Supplies and Distribution Company (ISDC), a Chinese firm specialising in premium food products.
Major food and drink firms are increasingly incorporating influencer marketing into their advertising mix, but the best results are only achieved when brands move beyond seeing it as a simple cash for content or comments transaction.
Australian probiotic start-up PERKii has partnered with retail cold-chain distribution firm Manassen Foods Australia (MFA) and embarked on a trial at a number of Woolworths stores.
Supplement giant Blackmores recorded profits of $52m for the first nine months — up 19.3% — but conceded that its performance in China during the third quarter was 'below expectations'.
A vitamin C price fixing case that has found its way into the US Supreme Court could have wide ranging effects for the price of other vitamins and ingredients as well, experts say.
Significant investment into Ausnutria by state-owned management fund has put the Chinese government's plans for the country's infant nutrition sector in the spotlight.
Swisse Wellness' head of government relations Justin Howden will deliver a keynote address at our upcoming Healthy Ageing APAC Summit, assessing how policymakers and industry can best work together to improve the health and well-being of the population.
Two Chinese private equity firms, JIC Investments and Tamar Alliance Fund, have bought a majority stake in Australian vitamin manufacturer Nature's Care for a reported A$800m.
South East Asia has reached a 'golden age' where opportunities for start-ups in the functional food and supplement sectors abound, according to one industry expert.
Indonesia's young population, buoyed by greater disposable income, are increasingly interested in herbal supplements for their preventative healthcare benefits, according to one industry expert.
Herbal supplements in the Asia Pacific region is "at a crossroads" due to regulatory challenges, with countries such as South Korea and China having implemented stricter laws for products.
Israeli biotechnology firm Algatechnologies (Algatech) is now the major shareholder in Kiwi astaxanthin manufacturer Supreme Health, with both companies sharing the goal of expanding further in China, as well as the wider Asia Pacific market.
Australian infant nutrition firm Wattle Health has reported record sales on the back of an expanding product range and an increasing number of export markets.